Conquering Wakanda was a simple matter of kinetic force; the true challenge lay in the governance of a broken nation. The Dark Angels had shattered their shields, but the people still harbored the embers of defiance. To ensure they never rose again, their lineage had to be overwritten, their temples dismantled, and their very history repurposed.
The first step was the eradication of their faith. The 'Leopard God' Bast had to be replaced by the cold, binary truth of the Omnissiah and the eternal light of the Emperor.
For this task, Emrys chose Galahad.
When Emrys pulled the tech-priest from his sanctuary in the Transformers' world, Galahad was deep in a ritual of maintenance.
"010111000—" Galahad hissed in binary, his mechanical optical sensors whirring with irritation. "Even as the head of the House, you overstep. Interrupting a priest during the Litany of Ignition is a sin that warrants... significant recalibration."
Emrys ignored the threat of the giant power-axe Galahad held. "Patience, Galahad. I've brought you a gift. Do you remember the Vibranium I described?"
The red light in Galahad's mechanical eyes flared. He dropped the axe with a heavy thud and leaned in, his servo-arms clicking excitedly. "The kinetic-absorbent lattice? You've secured the source?"
Emrys gestured to the ground beneath them. "Beneath this city lies the richest vein of miraculous metal in this galaxy. It is yours to research, to forge, and to master."
Galahad's fervor burned bright for a moment before he regained his mechanical composure. He knew Emrys too well. "And the price? You are not known for such charity."
"You know me too well," Emrys smiled. "I need this territory integrated. I need a Tech-Priest Forge-Synod established and the Ecclesiarchy's roots dug deep. I need the people to trade their spears for the blessed gear-cog. I trust no one else to build the foundations."
Galahad and Jackal had been with Emrys through the fires of Roselle; they were more than subordinates—they were his inner circle. In the Transformers' world, Galahad had already proven he could weave the Emperor's faith and the Machine Cult into a cohesive governing force.
"I understand," Galahad said, his voice modulating into a tone of cold efficiency. "Leave me a regiment of the Solar Auxilia. Within three lunar cycles, the temples of the cat-god will be repurposed into shrines for the Omnissiah. The Vibranium will be put to its true purpose. I swear in the name of the Machine God."
While Galahad began his work, Emrys looked to the future. Vibranium power armor was a priority, as was the construction of a fleet. While a cruiser made of pure Vibranium was an impossibility, an alloyed hull could make his ships nearly invulnerable to conventional fire. He also set aside a cache for Sentinel Prime—the Transformer scientist's genius paired with such a material would undoubtedly produce something terrifying.
However, his planning was interrupted by a priority signal from the Sword of Truth. He opened the channel to see Nick Fury's face, pale and strained.
"Something has happened," Fury said, his voice thick with a mixture of rage and terror.
"Laufey?" Emrys asked.
"Laufey," Fury gritted his teeth. "He used that artifact—the Casket of Ancient Winters. He just froze a city in the Midwest solid. Millions are dead, Emrys. It it was an execution."
It was a warning. Release Loki, or the world would become a tomb of ice.
"He thinks he can coerce us with the lives of cattle?" Emrys's eyes darkened. 'The Imperium does not negotiate with xenos. We do not compromise with heretics.'
"What do we do?" Fury asked.
"We do what must be done. Blood for blood," Emrys replied. "Banner, locate the Tesseract's radiation signature. Stark, assist him. We find the Frost Giant's staging ground, and we burn it out."
The Avengers, still reeling from the speed of the Wakandan conquest, looked at Emrys with a new, terrified respect.
"I'm on it," Banner said, his voice shaky but determined. He and Stark immediately retreated to the labs.
"And us?" Steve Rogers asked, his face flushed with anger. "What is our role?"
Emrys looked at the Captain, the Widow, and the Archer. In his eyes, they were less capable than a standard squad of Imperial Guard, but they served a purpose for morale. "Maintain your rage, Captain. You will need it for the reaping."
Finally, Emrys turned to Thor, who was trying to shrink into the shadows of the command deck.
"Thor. Come with me," Emrys said coldly. "Your brother's kin have slaughtered millions. Asgard allowed this xenos king to reach our shores. This debt is now written in Asgardian blood."
Thor forced a nervous, stiff smile. "Actually, Emrys... Loki is adopted. We aren't really that close. In fact, our relationship has always been quite strained..."
"Save it for the cells," Emrys interrupted. "We are going to have a very long talk with your brother."